"Iranian Army Chief Commander Amir Hatami on Wednesday emphasised that Iran takes the threat from Israel very seriously and is fully prepared to respond. "The Zionist regime's threat against the Islamic Republic is a real and existential one. We take this threat quite seriously. We are preparing ourselves to the extent of this threat," Hatami stressed during a press conference in Tehran. "They [the enemy] misused an ordinary business protest, and turned it into a riot and then an armed terrorist operation. This showed that they have been fully prepared for it," the Chief Commander added. Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel 'is closely monitoring what is happening in Iran.' ‘Israel supports their struggle for freedom and strongly condemns the mass massacres of innocent civilians,’ Netanyahu proclaimed. On December 28, Iran witnessed a wave of protests in Tehran which rapidly spread to other cities, triggered by the crippling economic situation and a weakening national currency against the US dollar. US President Donald Trump reiterated to Iranian protesters that 'help is on the way', urging them to 'keep protesting and 'take over your institutions.' In a letter to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Iran accused the US and Israel of encouraging political destabilisation, inciting violence, and threatening the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security. The Iranian authorities reaffirm their commitment to satisfy what they described as 'justifiable' demands of the protesters. Meanwhile, they warned that the 'enemy' was attempting to take advantage of living conditions to stir up unrest in the country."